Bolivia declares emergency amid heavy rains, raging floods

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times and Global Warming

Bolivia declares emergency amid heavy rains, raging floods*

22 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT
Written by: Megan Rowling

Media reports from La Paz say the Bolivian government has declared a
state of emergency due to flooding caused by constant heavy rains since
the end of November - a result of the La Nina weather phenomenon.

So far, 21 deaths have been reported and around 20,000 families have
been affected in several departments, with some 13,000 of these losing
houses and livestock. According to the Pan-American Health Organisation,
food aid is being sent to the affected regions, and there are warnings
of health emergencies in some areas.

So far there's been no formal request for international aid, though that
could change now that the government has announced a state of emergency.

If you can read Spanish, the best place to find humanitarian updates is
probably redhum.org, the disasters information site that was launched
with U.N. backing late last year.

In Brazil, heavy rains in mid-January have caused severe flooding in the
southeastern state of Rio de Janeiro, with four deaths reported and
nearly 13,000 displaced. Click here for a Red Cross map showing the
location.